Author's note: I know, I know; I'm a terrible person. It's been waaaay too long since I last updated. I feel terrible. I don't like giving you excuses, but I've been really sick for a while. I'm mostly better now, and I have every intent to update like crazy over the next few days to make up for all the time you had to wait. I already have a pretty solid outline for the next few chapters, so they shoudn't take me too long to write. On a happier note, did you all hear about the Twilight Tour? Actors from the movie are coming to Hot Topics across America. They'll be signing posters. I was so excited when I discovered that Kristen Stewart would be coming to the mall very close to me on November 14th. And then even more excited when I got permission from my mother to go. I can not wait! Anywho, on with the story.

Briel's POV:

How long I had lain there, I had no idea. The curtains in the room were closed and no sunlight filtered in. Days could have passed, or maybe it was only minutes. I couldn't be sure. I was in intense pain from the injuries I had sustained last night. At least, I think it was still last night. In addition to those injuries, my stepfather had taken it upon himself to hit or kick me every time he passed me still laying on the floor. Each second was torture. I had to get out of here. I had to.

The only problem was that there was no way I could.I couldn't untie myself or run away or even call for help. Then it hit me. If I could just peel the tape over my mouth off enough, I could scream for somebody to help me. It was more likely that he would kill me or find some other painful way of shutting me up before anybody came, but I just had to try. I rubbed the side of my face on the rough carpet, growing more and more hopeful as the tape began to peel off little by little. Finally, I had gotten enough off for me to be able to open my mouth and scream.

I would have very little time to make myself heard. I had to make sure I could be loud enough. I took in a deep breath and let out a long, worldess scream. Then I went on to scream "Help! Please, help!" over and over. I heard my stepfather's roar of fury, and knew that my time for screaming was up. I was expecting some serious pain. But I can honestly say that I hadn't expected him to be coming toward me with a knife in his hand. Perhaps it was a trivial thing, but I couldn't help wondering where he had even gotten it. Does one always wonder about such trivial things when one is staring death in the face?

So many times had he beaten me badly, yet I had always known somehow that he would not kill me. Some intuitive part of me knew that I would make it. I told myself that I was strong enough to survive whatever he did to me. And for so long, I'd believed it. But now I could see that I was nowhere near strong enough to survive this on my own. My screams had gone unanswered. Even as I lay there, knowing I was going to die, I still was able to feel alone. And I had never been so alone in my life than in these last few seconds of it.

I had been too wrapped up in my thoughts to see him coming. One second, he was on the other side of the room. Then he was kneeling next to me, a sick grin on his face as he stabbed me. Once, twice, three times. I felt myself slipping away and was actually grateful for the relief from the pain. Finally, it would be over. My long years of suffering would stop. I would be free.

As I comtemplated this, I lost the will to hold on. What was the point? I was being offered a permanent escape from the pain. Why in the world was I fighting? A felt a tear slide down my cheek, and I let go.

But just before I completely slipped off the edge into the dark abyss of nothingness, I heard a sound that made me grap that ledge and hold on tighter than I'd held anything before in my life.

Seth's POV:

So close. We were so close to saving her. In just a few more seconds, I'd be with her again. Carlisle and Edward were talking about how we would explain to the police how we had found her. I couldn't bring myself to care.I could only think about whether she was okay or not. If she was dead... but I couldn't let myself think like that. I would save her. No matter what.

Suddenly, screams filled the air around us. I would recognize that voice anywhere. Briel was in trouble! I turned to Edward to see if he could hear anything from her mind or the mind of whoever was doing this to her. His eyes just widened, and anger filled his face before he sped up and ran even faster. The next few seconds passed in a blur for me.

We broke down the door of the cheap hotel room that she was in easily. I had intended to go straight for the person who had hurt her, but my plans were changed very quickly. I saw him, but not only him. He was kneeling by Briel. She looked so beaten, so broken. She didn't seem to be concious. Was she even breathing. She was bleeding so much.

I shoved him away from her as hard as I could and left him for Edward to deal with. I knelt by Briel's side, so afraid to touch her. What if I hurt her worse. I was barely aware of Carlisle kneeling next to me. "Briel, please don't let go, please hold on," I pleaded.